Letter: Christmas grinches

I nominate Gov. Gary Herbert for the annual Ebenezer Scrooge award. He has worked hard for it and I think he deserves the honor. He has kept 111,000 below the poverty level and poor Utah citizens waiting for his decision about their health coverage. Of course he could accept federal money which would fully fund the expanded Medicaid insurance plan for the first three years, and up to 90 percent for the following 10 years. But that would be too easy. Why not escape all responsibility and appoint a legislative council and let them deal with it? Didn’t I tell you this man was brilliant?

Fast forward to the grinches in the Utah State Houses. They came up with three plans, two of which are confusing. Maybe that was on purpose, because about all it did was muddy the water. According to author and reporter Jim Hightower, “The water won’t clear up until we get the hogs out of the creek.”

The stories by Charles Dickens and Dr. Suess — "A Christmas Carol," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" — both have happy endings. Dare we hope that this political issue could have a happy ending also?